Mavic Haute Route Rockies Rolls Out for Stage 1 in Boulder

The Mavic Haute Route Rockies peloton rolled out of Boulder, Colorado with a police escort out of town and on to Lefthand Canyon. With police holding traffic at the bottom and top of the canyon, riders experienced a wide-open road up this classic Colorado climb. Upon summiting in Ward, riders regrouped at the first feed zone before tackling a rolling timed section on the famed Peak-to-Peak Highway. The way back down off the ridge came by way of descending St. Vrain to Lyons, followed by a flat to rolling timed section through the foothills of Boulder.

RIDER REACTIONS

Megan Hottman – Golden, CO

About Megan:

Founder of Hottman Law Office and thecyclist-lawyer.com, she is known by Colorado cyclists, as well as her fellow attorneys, as THE go-to lawyer for anything cycling-related.

History with Haute Route: First time

About the ride:

“There were several times today I found myself in groups of three to four people from places like Switzerland, Canada, Germany. Even though I could tell at times some weren’t comfortable with English, we really didn’t need language. It was cool how we all defaulted to the same rules of cycling and followed the etiquette of taking turns on the front, pointing out hazards on the road. We all spoke the same bike language.”

Ryan Petry – Boulder, CO

About Ryan:

At 20 years old Ryan raced in his first mountain bike race as an amateur. Mountain biking was simply a hobby while he was training as a triathlete, with the hopes of turning pro. With his love for the mountains he shifted over to professional XTERRA racing in 2013. Showing signs of a massive engine on the bike, Ryan decided to solely focus on the bike and in 2015 went pro in mountain biking.

History with Haute Route: First time

About the ride:

“I’ve been up Lefthand Canyon so many times, but I’m always squeezed off to the right so it was so fun to have the whole road. It was great to be able to just focus on staying with the guy in front of me.”

George Herriott – West Virginia

History with Haute Route: First time

About the ride:

“I’ve been to Colorado a few times. It is beautiful riding out here. I chose Haute Route because I wanted to have a competitive edge to the rides, which suits my overall nature. I’m excited to be here and looking forward to taking on Pikes Peak. I’ve never ridden that high. I’ve been to 12,000 feet, but not 14,000.”

“Instead of just hammering endlessly for 100 miles, you have a timed section within each stage. That sets up a unique dynamic, because you really get to go hard during the timed sections, but then at the rest stops everyone regroups. There’s a very social aspect to this event, but at the same time you still get your competitive instincts out. When you cross the line you’re tired and you’re challenged, but you’re not obliterated. So then you can do it a few days in a row!”

Stage 1 Results

Boulder’s own Ryan Petry took top honors as the fastest male through the three timed sections on Stage 1, followed by former USA Pro Challenge King of the Mountains winner Matt Cooke and professional mountain biker Russell Finsterwald. In the very strong women’s field, Canadian Olympian Lyne Bessette topped the podium, with Jennifer Cubillas and Nina Donohue in second and third.

The Haute Route’s objective is to deliver an unparalleled 'professional' experience for amateur cyclists. This means not only delivering first class hospitality and event management, but all the key ingredients that make up the culture and experience of professional road racing.